


fragments

by Ignia



Series: echoes of a flame [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: FFxivWrite, FFxivWrite2020, Gen, Miqo'te Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Multiple Warriors of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Tumblr: FFXIVwrite, Tumblr: FFXIVwrite2020
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:01:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 2,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26278330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ignia/pseuds/Ignia
Summary: fleeting moments in time along the course of Ignia Estalia's journey--collection of prompts for #FFXIVWrite2020
Relationships: Warrior of Light/Thancred Waters
Series: echoes of a flame [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1858333
Comments: 9
Kudos: 5





	1. table of contents

1\. crux (gen, SCH quest related)

2\. sway (gen, WoL OCs, patch 4.4 spoilers)

3\. muster (ThancredWoL, shb spoilers)

8\. clamor (gen, patch 3.2 references)

9\. lush (ThancredWoL, shb spoilers)


	2. crux

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crux: the decisive or most important point at issue
> 
> no specific spoilers
> 
> ignia always had issues with healing magic...but she would get this. she would.

Ignia gulped, flexing her fingers in nervousness. She had come to Camp Bronze Lake to get more tutoring from Surito Carito. She could feel like she was _right there_. Manipulation of her carbuncles and egi was a breeze compared to this…why did asking Selene to extend her powers give her such trouble? She could feel the soul crystal pushing her along too, so it was just _her_.

Alka Zolka had offered to help, thankfully; she didn’t want to bother Mars when things were so chaotic, even if he _would_ enjoy the Tonberries. She focused, laying down a Sacred Soil while siphoning some of the excess aether from the cast to Selene as armor grew hardier and skin tougher under the dome spread out around them.

She could sense it -and her ability to sense aether always far outpaced her ability to manipulate it, to her frustration. Selene was brimming with excess aether. So Ignia grasped her codex tightly, channeling her aether through it, praying her wish was conveyed to Selene with it.

“Please…” She barely registered that she had whispered anything but she could feel everything click into place at that moment. The aether reached out and the tether formed, scratches and wounds on Alka Zolka healing as they were inflicted, stronger than any Regen could heal in any one moment.

_Aetherpact!_

Ignia barely resisted the urge to just start jumping in joy, there were some tempered kobolds remaining but soon enough, it was just her and Alka Zolka and Surito Carito. And she skipped over and swept both up into a hug, “Thankyouthankyouthankyou!”

Neither responded, and she flushed letting them both down when she realized she’d been crushing the air out of them, “Ack, sorry!”

“It’s fine,” The Lalafell pumped his first skyward, “I’m glad to help out! Now, nothing can really happen with two amazing Nymian Scholars amongst the Warriors of Light!”

“Indeed, you just needed a little more practice and that is nothing to be ashamed of, my dear.”

Ignia nodded in glee, more healers never hurt and while she wasn’t as talented as Janus in healing, every little bit counted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> doing a little bit of catchup because i started this challenge a bit late!


	3. sway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> patch 4.4 spoilers
> 
> -
> 
> Sway: move or cause to move slowly or rhythmically backward and forward or from side to side

Everyone looked around at each other, everyone on the Scion’s side of the table clutching their head as the pain died down. They barely got to glance at each other to check how they were all doing before two of them swayed and collapsed to the floor

“Master Thancred!”

“Ignia!”

Almost instantly, there were people at the sides of the collapsed, looking over each member of the pair, frantically trying to find out why they collapsed. When Kan-E-Senna called for more chirurgeons, while pushing everyone but Janus and Y’shtola out of the room, everyone had no choice but to comply, despite the worry spiking through all of them.

\--

It felt wrong. Seeing Ignia lie in the bed, so still, barely able to tell if she was even breathing, it was wrong. The Seeker of their group was usually jumping from wall to wall, hanging off everyone else and living up to her name as a Warrior of Light. Janus watched over his sister, keenly aware of her missing soul.

The only thing he could find comfort in right now was that both Ignia and Thancred were Called together. He just had to trust that the both of them would watch out for each other. 

“...Babe?”

Janus stood up, as Mars’ familiar hand came to rest on his shoulder, “Sorry, it’s like Kan-E-Senna said, their bodies are here but everything else is just...poof. Gone.”

“It’s eerie,” Mars didn’t say more. The fact that the usually quiet Au Ra spoke up like he did said more than any words could. But Janus had to agree. The silence...Ignia alone in a too large bed...the stillness of the room around them and the haunting words they all heard just before two of their own were whisked away.

Janus looked over to the corner of the room where Shrimp had fallen asleep in a chair. She’d been keeping a vigil as soon as non-healers were allowed into the room. The plan was to leave for the Rising Stones in the morning and just looking around, Janus knew that the remaining Warriors of Light weren’t leaving this room until they had to. They trusted that Lyse would take care of Ignia and Thancred but also this was a matter of family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a little divergence for ignia, considering she's one of multiple warriors of light in her story
> 
> she's called a bit earlier than her fellows


	4. muster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> shadowbringers spoilers
> 
> \--
> 
> muster: summon up (a particular feeling, attitude, or response)

Ignia stumbled, falling out of rhythm, as she kneeled over, trying to catch her breath. The trauma her soul had endured from the Call was still affecting her and she felt frustration rise in her chest over how weak she felt every day. It took everything in her to muster up the strength to go to the training field every day.

“...maybe it might be a good idea to take a break, love?”

In response to Thancred’s question, she shook her head, feeling hair fly as it came loose from her short ponytail, “N-not yet.”

She could feel her now loose hair stick to her neck and face, damp from her sweat and she took a deep breath, knowing that she had to muster the strength to fix her hair and then get back to her training. She paused when she felt hands gather her hair for her, gently pulling it away from her field of view and her neck. She sat back, catching her breath and recognizing Thancred’s presence behind her.

As he tied her hair (was that a ribbon?) back for her, she leaned her head back and smiled up at her lover, staring into his silver eyes, “Hi.”

“One more run through your steps, then I'll carry you back to our room. Got it, kitten?”

Ah, well...it’s not like she’d have the energy to argue if he just picked her up and carried her back now, even. She could see the love in his eyes past his worry so she took the compromise, nodding as he finished tying up her hair, “Alright, one more run.”

She mustered up the energy to stand once again, practice chakrams in hand before she took her starting position. She would do this. She _had_ to do this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ignia has her own challenges to handle in the first, specifically with her early call...but i'll get into that in a different minishot probably :3


	5. clamor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> references to the events of patch 3.2
> 
> \--
> 
> clamor: a loud and confused noise, especially that of people shouting vehemently

Ignia covered her ears, the sudden rise in noise level around her starting to get overwhelming, especially after just waking up from her drugged sleep. The words being said hit at her, sure, she knew the people of Ishgard wouldn’t be able to get over their issues with the Dravanians so easily but what she wouldn’t give for _peace_. The point of all of this was to look to the future, not be drowned in the past.

Why didn’t they understand that hate would breed more hate? That fighting would just mean more fighting? If they didn’t lay down their swords now…when would they?

The noise, the aftereffects of the Echo, it was too much for her right there. She leaned against the wall, and she had to hope that one of the others would be able to talk sense into the crowd...the mob. Peace would be what paved the way forward so that others wouldn’t have to suffer the same loss that they were crying out now. Both sides wanted the fighting to stop…Nidhogg would be defeated again and it would all go so much easier if Ishgard and Dravania could come together.

Ignia looked up towards the woman at the head of this with blurry eyes, a silent prayer on the tip of her tongue, begging for the outcriers to see reason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 9-9: still playing catch up on week one but i'll be keeping up with the rest of these on time!


	6. lush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> shadowbringers spoilers
> 
> \--
> 
> lush: (of vegetation) growing luxuriantly.

The lush meadows and forests of Il  Mheg that stretched farther than she could see...even with her mind cloudy, she remembered that much about this land.

But. 

She couldn’t relax, not in Il  Mheg and around the Fae. Feo Ul’s name was on the tip of her tongue as she either stayed by  Thancred’s side or hovered over Minfilia, all while keeping an eye on the whole group. Her reunion with the others was supposed to be joyous and happy, she wanted to apologize to Mars and catch up with Janus and Shrimp. Now, it was full of tension as she worried over bout the pixies overstepping and trying to claim her friends for themselves. 

“Breathe, love,” At the whispered reminder, she let go of the breath she hadn’t even realize she’d been holding. Ignia looked up to her fiancé as he took one of her hands in his, using his hand to rub circles into her skin. Right now,  Thancred was there to ground her, and he leaned in to press a kiss against her ear, “One more round of pixie chores then you call your dearest branch and they’ll give all these pixies a talking to, alright?”

“They’ll be annoyed we took so long to do that.”

“Well, you needed the time to stand without hiding behind a shield, butterfly. But you should stop hovering around me and Minfilia.” 

Her hand pulled away from  Thancred , and her other hand fiddled with her engagement ring, taking a deep breath, “Right...let me go help Janus with whatever they asked of him.” 

“That’s my girl,” He pressed another kiss against her hair, “I’ll check with the others.” At the stare Ignia gave him, he paused and sighed, “...and talk with  Minfilia .”

“Good. You were a bit too harsh with her earlier.”

“And you’re too soft with her sometimes.” They stared each other down before a call of Ignia’s name drew her attention away, and she pulled away with a soft smile.

“I should go see what that’s about.”

“Stay safe, love.”

“Same to you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS PRETTY MUCH CURRENT WITH WHERE I AM IN SHB CURRENTLY AHHHHH
> 
> i'm waiting for my FC-mates to hit the lvl 74 trial then we'll run it as a group >:3


	7. avail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> avail: help or benefit
> 
> shb spoilers!

_His efforts were to no avail. Thancred desperately tried to shake awake everyone around him: Y’shtola, Urianger, Tataru, Alisaie, Alphinaud, Shrimp, Janus, Mars…Ignia. All of them were unresponsive to any attempts to wake them or restore any type of color or warmth to their bodies. He had been too late…_

\--

Thancred shot up into a seated position, his eyes flying open, breathing heavily, and frantically looking around. But it was the lazy hit of a tail against his chest that brought him back to reality. As he looked down at his side, sleepy, mismatched eyes looked up at him, scanning him, “Dear…?”

The sight of Ignia, his Ignia, alive and well…albeit sleepy, brought a smile to his face as he tried to get his breathing under control. He watched her sit up, rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes as he tried to assure her, he hadn’t meant to wake her after all, “Just some bad dreams, kitten. It’s nothing, you can go back to sleep.”

…years at her side really should have taught him better in cases like this. She turned from sleepy to alert, leveling a half-disappointed, half-worried look at him. “…Thancred.”

It was spoke volumes about how much sway Ignia had over him that the look in her eyes and the tone in her voice was all it took for him to fold, oh how Urianger and Y’shtola would tease and poke fun at him if they ever realized just how much the Miqo’te at his side had the once-philanderer wrapped around her finger, “Just…a nightmare about what would happen if we failed.”

He didn’t specify failing _what_ but from how her eyes softened and how she hugged him close, she knew, “We know. So we can fight it. I’m not leaving you. No matter the world.” _Willingly_ , he knew she was leaving out that oh so important word but her resolve was true, she’d fight everything in all the realms before she would just lie down and die.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn’t realize what she was doing until Thancred’s head was on her lap, her tail draped over his torso and her hand running through his hair.

“Rest, we leave with Minfilia in the morning, dear…and if you get anymore nightmares, you can rest knowing I’m right here.”


	8. tooth and nail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tooth and nail: with all one's resources or energy; fiercely
> 
> \--
> 
> mid-sb spoilers

Ignia desperately put all of her strength behind her daggers, trying to parry against Zenos’ katana. They had to take the chance, even if the others had objected. Even if it was just her, Yugiri and Mars in a sneak attack against Zenos…even if it wasn’t much of a sneak attack now.

Now, it was all three of them in a brawl against Zenos.

The Miqo’te winced as she felt her strength begin to falter but out of the corner of her eye, she saw the shield and accompanying Au Ra come at Zenos from his side. Mars pushed Zenos off her and she jumped back to put distance between herself and that confrontation to catch her breath and try to get feeling back in her arms. The Garlean Crown Prince had strength to put so many of their previous opponents to shame.

Her tail hit against the ground as she locked eyes with Yugiri from where she was. She would have to draw on everything Jacke and Oboro had taught her to win out here, every Mudra, every trick would have to come out if they wanted Zenos’ head but they had known that going in.

She watched Mars deflect some blows with his shield while his sword parried others. They needed the best opportunity to slide a blade between the prince’s ribs and end his life…it was just a matter of fighting tooth and nail until they could do so.


End file.
